To You I Will Always Return
by ColorsoftheWind78
Summary: Kocoum always loved Pocahontas despite the cold way she acted toward him. What if one day her heart changes about the way she feels about him? This is a story dedicated to a "What If" Couple.


Kocoum is a character that was not in the spotlight alot, in the Disney film 'Pocahontas'. While Pocahontas sailed away with her "more righteous " lover John Smith, there were probably a few fans who wondered what would have happened if Pocahontas and Kocoum would have gotten together. This is a story and possible answer dedicated to that question.

This is a "What If" Couple Story, **therefore it will not be very long. Please don't ask me to write more and make it longer.** Please read the story and send in your criticisms in a pleasant manor. Now my readers, I present a new journey for you to embark on. Take care, be safe, and most of all; have fun.

* * *

And yet, despite his hatred, here he was. He knew he had told Mataoka that he was going to bring his sisters in for a visit, but he was not about to blow a chance to have one on one time with her. So, here he was, strolling through the dormatories at Balamb University, trying to find her room. He looked as grouchy and as uncomfortable as he felt, so he was getting very little help from passing students. Not that he wanted it, really. He wasn't interested in them. All he wanted was a few precious moments with Mataoka. He was willing to withstand the cramped, hurried lifestyle of the city if he endured it with her. She relaxed him.

When he finally found her door, he paused. First, he checked his breath. He didn't want to greet her with nasty breath. Just to make sure, he popped a breath mint into his mouth. Then, he ran a hand over his hair, making sure it was still in place. Luckily for him, his hair was very easy to control, so his ponytail was as smooth and straight as possible. Finally, he straightened his clothes. He was really just stalling for time with all of this, he was nervous. Not that he'd ever admit to such a thing. And since he couldn't admit to it, he finally faced what was worrying him and knocked on the door, taking a deep breath as he did so.

* * *

Pocahontas was cradling Meeko in her lap (while tending to the tiny potted plants that adorned her desk) when a strong rap on the door caught her attention. Immediately, she rose from her seat and sent Meeko into the little basket she'd prepared for him within her wardrobe. It never hurt to be cautious; Pocahontas did not wish to be stripped of her scholarship by flouting a mundane school rule.

The small room came into full view for Kocoum as the door swung open. It was a simple place, with a cupboard and a neatly-made bed in one corner and a tiny desk and accompanying chair in the other. The blinds were up, revealing the couple of dream catchers that hung at the window.

Pocahontas herself was surprised when her visitor revealed himself to be Kocoum. Of course she remembered that he was bringing his sisters over for a visit that day. It was the reason why she had been restless and nervous all day - she hadn't been able to get much done. And Pocahontas definitely hadn't expected him to show up right at her doorstep like this.

A long moment of silence hung between them before she finally responded.

"Hello, Kocoum. It's nice to see you again," she said quietly, once she had gotten over her initial surprise. She glanced behind Kocoum, expecting to see his sisters' inquisitive gazes and bright smiles, but realized, belatedly, that he was alone.

Pocahontas' smile faltered slightly as she added, "Where are the rest of them? You shouldn't leave them waiting somewhere else, it's easy to get lost in here..."

When the door opened to reveal her in one piece and in perfect health, he felt a wealth of tension ease from his shoulders, tension he hadn't even been aware he was carrying. He looked over her head to take in her surroundings. When he noticed the plants and the dream catchers, he couldn't hide his smile. It was relieving to see that she was still the same girl she had been back in turned his gaze to her, and he sighed quietly, another round of tension easing from his frame. She looked beautiful, and she quite a sight for sore eyes. How he missed seeing her flit through Powhatan, as though she didn't have a care in the world. He only wished she would smile for him, and just for him. She was always so reserved, and he hated it. He tried to keep from pressuring her, gave her space, did whatever he could to try to make her feel more at ease with him. Nothing seemed to work.

"It's nice to see you too, Mataoka," he said softly. At the mention of his sisters, he had the grace to shrug sheepishly.

"They uh..they couldn't make it. They weren't feeling well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. His sisters had come down with a case of the blue flu, brought on by Kocoum hounding them into playing along. They did their best to wear him down, they threw fits, the pleaded with him, even tried bribing him, but nothing worked. He finally promised that he'd take them on a visit another day, a visit that included shopping wherever they wanted, and for however long they wanted.

This was a huge sacrifice for Kocoum, for not only was he willing to spend more time in the city than he ever wanted too, he was willing to go shopping. He hated shopping. And shopping with his sisters was the absolute worst. They would drag him from store to store, station him outside the dressing rooms to be available to hold their bags, offer opinions and listen to them titter and giggle as they made a whirlwind through the store. It exhausted him and left him yearning for a good dose of sunshine. But it would all be worth it, he hoped. He was desperate for this day to go well.

"I uh...I hope you don't mind that I came.." he said hesitantly. He felt a tiny twinge of guilt for tricking her like this, and all his earlier bravado had faded away. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"Not feeling well?"

Her initial reaction was to be concerned, but it quickly gave way to skepticism. Pocahontas raised her eyebrows - she found it very hard to believe that not just one, but all of his equally strong-minded sisters had come down with the very same sickness. A heavy weight, one that comprised both disappointment and real apprehension at what was to come, settled itself down in her stomach. Pocahontas had truly been looking forward to an exciting day out with the girls (plus one stoic older brother); she'd already drawn up an itinerary, including places in Twilight City that she herself had yet to explore. With regards to her growing sense of uneasiness, well... it really didn't take a genius to see why Kocoum could be lying.

Assuming that he was lying, of course.

Pocahontas added, in a careful manner, "I was so excited about touring the city with your sisters. What happened? Are they really alright being left at home without you around?" She'd give him the benefit of the doubt, after all.

**Be natural. Be natural, Pocahontas.**

And so it went on, the inner mantra. Still, something in Pocahontas' gaze softened as she studied his face and the hesitant manner in which he delivered. She could sense his trepidation, his earnestness, and for some reason that did relax her. The change that produced in her was visible as she finally stepped aside, gesturing towards her room. "It's fine, it's fine. Come on in and have a seat."

Perhaps this day wouldn't turn out that badly after all. She could only pray fervently that Kocoum brought up nothing regarding matrimony.

Her concern over his stubbornly healthy sisters added to his guilt. It probably would have been less suspicious if he had brought at least one of them along with him. Lord knows what he would have had to promise to pull that one off. To choose one would have left the other four extremely irate, and it only would have caused trouble. As it was, he would have never been able to pick one anyways, because they were all equally annoying and giggly in his eyes.

"They went out for dinner the night before, ate some bad fish in one of their appetizers. They should be fine with a little rest. I'd just get in the way," he said, trying to put some concern in his voice. Concern wasn't a natural quality for his voice to take when it came to his sisters. They were as strong as oxes and far more hardy, he didn't really ever need to be concerned.

What aided him in his attempt to soften his voice was her lack of including him in her fun. He was all too aware he hadn't been included in the sentence that relayed her fun. He didn't like the hollow feeling it left behind. That feeling ate up some of the guilt he had been feeling about lying.

He did notice she relaxed some, and that pleased him. He tried not to appear as awkward as he felt when he stepped into the tiny room. Kocoum didn't like small spaces. He'd never go so far to describe it as claustrophobia, because it wasn't a fear. He was a rather large man who was accustomed to being outdoors. Sometimes he had trouble remembering to guard himself in small places, things could get LAST thing he wanted to do was mess up her neat little room. That would not be a good way to make an impression.

"I see. Perhaps we could go out later to get a little something for them."

Pocahontas' eyes followed Kocoum as he entered the little room and she shut the door. She remembered that, like her, Kocoum wasn't exactly fond of tiny places, and she could sense his discomfort. She directed him to the previously-occupied chair, then spent the next minute busying herself with clearing papers off the desk and drawing the blinds up even higher. All this minute tasks were performed to stall for time; though she was a little more comfortable, she still found her tongue relatively tied.

Pocahontas realized that if she was determined to let both of them enjoy the day at all, she ought not to be thinking about certain extremely touchy issues (with her).

"I'm sorry if this place is a little cramped. I was very uncomfortable with it too, when I first came. I don't stay in here for that long if I can help it. We can catch up somewhere else if you want."

Turning her back upon Kocoum after that little bit of small chat, Pocahontas opened her wardrobe and finally brought Meeko out of his hiding place. She held the old, placid cat out to Kocoum, smiling as she did so and wondering if the farmer remembered him. Meeko had been her constant companion since goodness-knew-when. She was lucky that Meeko was allowed to come with her during her epic one-year stay in the city.

"They'd like that," he said, somewhat disgruntled. He did not want to be focusing on his sisters right now.

He sat down where he was directed to and rubbed his hands on his thighs. He got itchy, watching her twitch because of his presence. Mother Earth, how he wished he could make her stop that. It just stirred up a never ending cycle of restlessness on both sides.

"Don't trouble yourself, Mataoka. If you can live in this place, I can make myself comfortable enough to visit you." She was worth it. He had to prove to her that he thought so. Maybe by trying to accommodate her some, he could.

When she brought out the cat, his face broke into a wry grin. "Couldn't leave the fuzzbucket behind, could you?"

He took the cat from her with gentle hands and cradled the old beast to his chest, rubbing him behind his ears. He'd wondered what had happened to the cat once she'd left. The two were an inseparable pair. He and Meeko had bonded some during their stay in the city; both of them had been quite concerned over Mataoka's unhappiness. The cat had been a secret outlet for him. He'd spent many a night whispering to him after all was dark and it was always in secret. Kocoum had missed the animals while he was in the city, and Meeko had been a nice little piece of home while they had toiled away that year.

"Alright." Curiously, as averse as she was to meeting Kocoum alone initially, Pocahontas wanted to make sure he was truly comfortable. He was her guest for the day, whether she liked it or not, and she was going to be as hospitable as she could. Pocahontas could be harsh, that was for sure, but she was never unkind. "Don't be hesitant about letting me know if you're hungry. City food isn't much to your liking, I know," she added, bemusedly, "and the cafeteria over here doesn't exactly provide the most excellent examples of it, but I can still try my best at recommendations."

She smiled, settling onto her bed in a cross-legged position as Kocoum and Meeko shared a reunion of sorts. Gazing at the pair, she was reminded vividly of that time they'd all spent together romping about the city many years ago. Kocoum had always been the serious type, but she knew he cared - and yet, back then, she couldn't help but blame him, unreasonably, as she had also blamed her father and the rest of the family for sending her there. That animosity was gone now, and idly, Pocahontas wondered how different things would have been if they had gotten off wonderfully - as they should have, she realized - long ago.

"He's getting old, that he is," Pocohontas remarked. "Perhaps I ought not to let him travel back and forth between here and Powhatan that often. Have I told you how I came to name him Meeko?" It was a strange thing to say, upon contemplation - the more proper thing to do would be to ask about his life, and his parents, and her family, and the farms... But any more deliberation on her part and she would get them both even more tongue-tied with awkwardness. Best to simply speak her mind.


End file.
